As Mero and Sir Loherangrin rode back from a hard season's fighting at the frontier, laden with laurels and plunder, they were beset by goblins. Mero was awakened from daydreams of gold spurs to see his master fall from the saddle with black arrows sprouting from his chest. Mero rode hard with wolves on his tail, until his horse was spent, then stood on a hillock and broke his sword on a wolf's skull. Thus did Mero find himself lost and alone in the hinterlands.